Thomas Paine class
The Thomas Paine-class (or Paine-class) was a type of Starfleet frigate, a class IX starship in service to the Federation in the 24th century. This class became active on reference stardate 2/9002. History and specifications The Paine was created in the mid-24th century as a modification of other spaceframe designs, created as a forward reconnaissance vehicle and forward fire-support platform. Paine-class vessels crewed 85 officers and crew, with room for up to 15 passengers. Additionally, the Paine could carry 500 metric tons of cargo, rated at 10 SCU (standard cargo units). The vessels weighed 139,805 metric tons, measured 250 meters in length, 120 meters in width and 80 meters in height. The Paine had 2 standard (6 person) personnel transporters, two 12-person combat transporter stages and one each of small and large cargo transporters. The control computer of the Paine vessels was of the M-7 type. The Paine used warp engines were FTWC-1 type, rated to cruise at warp factor 12 and max out at warp factor 14. The Paine impulse engines were of the FIB-3 type. The Paine weapons had three phaser emitters, with forward, aft, port and starboard firing arcs. The vessels had three FP-7 photon torpedo launchers with forward, aft, port and starboard firing arcs. All weapons were single fire to the aft and double fire to all other arce, and these vessels were defended by FSC model deflector shields. The commissioning of the coincided with initial Federation contacts with the Ferengi, and in the role as recon vessels this class of ships tended to be the first line in tracking pirate activity by the Ferengi and others. This frigate class is for Thomas Paine a Human patriot from the history of Earth's United States of America nation. Other ships in the class are named after notable figures from history, from Federation history and Human history, for example. Remaining vessels are named for Federation and allied worlds. By the mid-2360s decade, 25 Paine vessels had been constructed, produced at bothe Deneva Shipyards and the Gibraltar Shipyards at a combined rate of about four per year. By stardate 3/03, 21 of these ships were in active service, with two ( and ) having been refit to uprated specifications. By that time, two ( and ) had been destroyed in action and two ( and ) were lost, whereabouts unknown. ( ) :The manual listed the vessel as a transwarp frigate, although later canon material states that the Federation had never been successful in devising a true transwarp drive. The description of transwarp used in the FASA game might not necessarily describe the same concept as it existed in canon. Like many FASA ship designs, this ship had components with different hull arrangements. Known ships :All references to this class are from the ''Star Trek: The Next Generation Officer's Manual, and utilize FASA's reference stardate date system.'' Appendices Connections Background Before the Star Trek Encyclopedia clarified the class of the referred to in , FASA had apparently intended to assign that ship as the Paine-class prototype vessel. This contradiction can be reconciled using dates that establish the newer ship had succeeded that other vessel and assumed its name. category:federation starship classes category:frigate classes